6/14/2009

Miranda: I have to do a school project on the Pharaoh Island. I heard, that you live there! Can you help me?

Uni: Oh, hello Miranda, nice to meet you. If you mean the Faroe Islands, I will happily help you.

Miranda: I don’t know how you spell it, sorry!! But thank you for helping me! This is the first time I ever heard of the Faroe Island. Is it in the Nile?

Uni: No problem! No, the Faroe Islands aren't in the Nile, although it could sure sound that way. The Faroe Islands are actually located in the middle of the North Atlantic sea, north of Scotland, between Iceland and Norway

Miranda: Oh! I found it on the map, here! I never noticed it before!

It looks like there are several islands!

Uni: Yes, there are 18 islands in total, 17 of them inhabited.

Miranda: Why aren’t all of them inhabited?

Uni: Most of them are. The island that is uninhabited, Lítla Dímun, is quite small (0,82 km2), and is surrounded by steep, high cliffs, so it's too hard to get to. Only sheep and birds live on it.

Miranda: I see. Are the Faroe Islands their own country?

Uni: No, they are not. The Faroe Islands are an autonomous province of the Kingdom of Denmark. In other words, we belong to Denmark, just as Greenland does.

Miranda: Like slaves?

Uni: Haha, no. The connection is mostly historical, and it helps us, because we are such a small nation. It’s not so different from the way the United States owns Puerto Rico, or even Hawaii, although Denmark doesn’t have states like the United States does.

Miranda: But I guess the Faroe Islands are much, much colder than Hawaii, more like Alaska!

Uni: Haha, surprisingly enough, the Faroe Islands aren’t nearly as cold as Alaska! Although they lie 62° North, the Gulf Stream moderates the climate, so we have mild winters. Our harbours never freeze, and snow melts away quickly. The average temperature in our coldest month is 3°C/37°F.But still, it’s not tropical, like Hawaii! In summers the Faroe Islands are quite cool, with the average temperature during our warmest month at 11°C/52°F.

Miranda: Wow, the difference between winter and summer isn’t very big! What is the weather like, other than the temperatures? Is it usually rainy, or sunny?

Uni: The climate is fairly wet, with lots of rain and fog, and sometimes big storms too. We get 1500 mm of rain annually, whereas Chicago, for example, gets 840, and Bergen, Norway, one of the wettest places on earth, gets 2250. But of course there are also many fine, sunny days - 927 hours of sunlight a year!

Miranda: Wow! So, do people in the Faroe Islands speak English, or Danish?

Uni: We speak both Danish and English, as 2nd and 3rd languages. Our mother tongue is Faroese.

Miranda: But I’ve never heard of Faroese! And does this mean, that you speak three languages?

Uni: Oh, no worries, many haven't. Yes, all of us speak three languages, and in high school, some choose to learn an extra foreign language, such as German or Spanish, as well.

Miranda: Isn’t it difficult, and confusing? I don’t think that Americans could do it.

Uni: I guess it is difficult and confusing for some, but we are taught Danish from 3rd grade, and English from 4th, and it's easier to learn languages when you are young. So, I guess if Americans would learn foreign languages in Elementary school, they would manage just fine.

Miranda: What kind of a language is Faroese? And where do Faroese people come from?

Uni: Faroese is most similar to Icelandic and some dialects of Norwegian, although it has been influenced somewhat by Danish. The remoteness of the Faroe Islands have helped Faroese to remain a very distinct language. Faroese people came from Vikings who accidentally hit the Faroe Islands while travelling west to Iceland.

Miranda: So, does everyone have blonde hair and blue eyes?

Uni: No. Maybe more than in America, but not as many as in Sweden, for example! Most Faroese people have blue or green eyes, and blonde or brown hair.

Miranda: Are the Faroe Islands part of the E.U.? What kind of money do you use?

Uni: No, the Faroe Islands aren't a part of the E.U. We use the same currency as Denmark, Danish Krona(DKK), but we have our own printed bills.

Miranda: Thank you so much, Uni! Now I know many things about the Faroe Islands! I know that they are a European nation, under the control of Denmark, with their own language, Faroese. I also know something about the people, climate, and currency. The most surprising things I learned today were that all Faroese learn three languages in school, and that the difference in temperature between winter and summer is only about 8°C/15°F!

I would like to visit this place some day. Maybe you have a group of water skiers or hydrofoilers that want a clinic. check out www.foiltime.com for more details, but I would definitely be willing to make a compromise in costs to visit such a beautiful place!